1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to games, and, more particularly, to an electronic keyboard game in which a preselected time period is established during which the keys of the keyboard must be depressed in a particular manner or pattern, audible and visible effects being employed during the preselected time period to distract the player and prevent him from concentrating on the keys which have been pressed. These audible and visual effects also being employed at the end of the preselected time period to indicate to the player or players that the game is over.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Electronic keyboard games are known, for example, the electronic keyboard games disclosed in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 834,643 filed Sept. 19, 1977 and 865,898 filed Dec. 30, 1977, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The former discloses an arrangement wherein the keys of a keyboard are associated with a tone or light, the device utilizing a microprocessor to generate a sequence of tones each associated with one of the key switches on the keyboard. If the participant correctly repeats the sequence the machine adds another entry to the sequence and plays the new sequences which must again be repeated by the participant. Also, electronically controlled games simulating the well known game of "battleship" are known wherein a microprocessor is employed to store the secret location of each player's battleship, and to provide a visible indication when the opposing player's keyboard selection of areas sinks the battleship.
While these electronic games provide a great deal of amusement, they have not generally provided a game wherein the player, or players, must work against a preselected time period during which the game must be completed, while audio and visual effects are produced which tend to distract the players from concentrating on the requirements of the game, particularly the requirement of remembering which keys of the keyboard have been pressed by either player during an extended sequence of play.